William J. Fox
Director
Financial Crimes Enforcement Network
Department of the Treasury
William J. Fox was appointed by Treasury Secretary John Snow to be the fourth Director of the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network on December 1, 2003. FinCEN administers the Bank Secrecy Act, which authorizes the collection, analysis and dissemination of financial information important to the prevention of money laundering and terrorist financing. FinCEN has been designated by the Department of the Treasury as one of the primary agencies to establish, oversee and implement policies to detect and prevent money laundering and terrorist financing. As Director, Mr. Fox will lead these efforts.
Prior to his appointment as FinCEN’s Director, Mr. Fox served as Treasury’s Associate Deputy General Counsel and Acting Deputy General Counsel. Since September 11, 2001, he also served as the principal assistant and senior advisor to Treasury’s General Counsel on issues relating to terrorist financing and financial crime. Mr. Fox was recognized for his work on these issues with a Meritorious Rank Award in October 2003.
Mr. Fox came to the Department of the Treasury in December 2000 as the Acting Deputy Assistant General Counsel for Enforcement. From 1988 to December 2000, Mr. Fox served at the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, first as an attorney in ATF’s Chicago office, then as the Senior Counsel for Alcohol and Tobacco and finally as ATF’s Deputy Chief Counsel. During his time with ATF, Mr. Fox provided legal support to several large scale criminal investigations; helped oversee ATF’s regulatory program; served as a legal point person for ATF’s alcohol and tobacco diversion program; worked on several important legislative initiatives; and, served as principal legal support for the United States Trade Representative’s Office for wine trade negotiations with the EU and other wine producing countries.
Mr. Fox was born and raised in Nebraska. He received his Bachelor’s degree in History and his Law degree from Creighton University in Omaha. He is married and has two children.